Bheka

A fantasy blend of the medieval Bantu people, Wakanda, and the Amazons, Punt and Kesh from they Hyborian Age, Shendi of Gor.

Bheka is locate in the central southern part of the Essealas continent between Arjat and Tenysia. They are on a desert pennisuala south of a vast grassland where cattle is grazed and elephants and jaguar roam wild. Bheka is a white city with tall flat-topped towers built of coral rather then stone. There is little stone in the area, so the city is built from coral mined off shore and bleached as white as beaches by the strong sun.

Bheka is the primary trade port for the local nomadic tribes who bring in cattle, maize, and ivory to trade for fish and crafted goods. The Bantu people "share" the flood plains that sit between Arjat and Bheka, the shift in fortune for control of these fertile farms dictating their access to inexpensive vegetables and grains. Bantu cooking tends to focus on grains, slow-cooked stews, curries and dairy, which are flavoured with a variety of spices and spices.

Personality

The Bantu people of the Bheka city-state are a proud, reserved people who beleive themselves to be a racial pure and advanced society, They share a lot in common with their neighbors in Arjat, though the relationship has been tumultuous at best. They are traditionalists who value loyalty to the tribe, the people and the ancestors above all. They do not approve of Tenysia, or any Bantu who travels there.

Bheka is a tribal region with hundreds of individual tribes with greater or lesser power throughout the region. Most tribes exist outside of the city walls as nomadic people and have little say in the politics of the continent. However, at least four dozen powerful and wealthy tribes live within the city walls and are forever competing for resources and influences. As of this date, the ruling tribe has been in power for the last 100 years, and war has been a continual occurrence as Bheka seeks to control every resource available in the sparse landscape. Other more peaceful tribes have tried and failed to dispose the current ruling tribe.

Appearance

The Bantu are a dark skinned, dark eyed people with black hair. They have strong facial features and powerful athletic bodies. The current hairstye trend is towards shorn/shaved heads or elaborate braided styles. The Bantu practice body scaring and body modification based on their individual tribal affiliation, but do not tatoo their heads, for fear that they will be confused with a Sythian.

Current clothing treads call for an elongated fashion style comprised clean lines, dark muted fabrics and limited but dramatic jewelry choices. Some tribes have refused to adopt current fashion trends and still wear loose-fitting, brightly colored fabrices and much more jewlery of a wide range of styles. The Bantu people enjoy exploring the fashion of their allied city-states, so a wide variety of styles in unexpected fabrics is to be expected.

Traditions

What is their burial and afterlife
What are some traditions

The Bantu people have a creator god whom they call Nkulunkulu who was born from the reeds. He is said to have broken off medicine men and dreams, the first man and woman, the cow and bull, and then the other animals. Nkulunkulu is in everything; he is in the corn, the tree, the water. Yet Nkulunkulu does not interact with humans and has little interest in everyday life.

The Bantu people interact with the spirits of their ancestors. The spirit world is a complex place and it interacts with the natural world on a regular basis. Misfortune is beleived to be the result of sorcery or offended spirits, and sacrifices are made so as to receive ancestral blessings. The Bantu view most of the other gods on the continent to be powerful ancestor gods for the other peoples, consequently, it is not uncommon for the Bantu people to participate in other religions -- especially if the wish the good will of those people.

Expanded Lore: Further reading and links for the culture obsessed.

Small Council NPCs

Phrases

The Land of Ebony and Ivory: A nickname for Bheka that refers to their exports of ebony and ivory, and the color contrast of the dark-skinned people and their white city.